The new service will allow Chinese tourists to use the Alipay mobile app to scan eligible tax refund receipts within 90 days of purchasing and receive RMB refunds immediately, skipping in-city and airport tax refund counters altogether.
Chinese mobile payment platform Alipay announced on Monday (August 20) that it had partnered with Global Tax Free, a Kosdaq-listed tax refund agency, to launch the world’s first paperless tax refund service in South Korea.
The new service will allow Chinese tourists to use the Alipay mobile app to scan eligible tax refund receipts within 90 days of purchasing and receive RMB refunds immediately, skipping in-city and airport tax refund counters altogether.
“Since 2013, Alipay has continuously explored ways to expedite tax refunds for Chinese tourists to enhance the outbound travel experience. Alipay users can already receive tax refunds at more than 80 airports and a growing number of in-city shops globally after processing at a tax counter,” said Danny Chung, general manager of Alipay Korea.
In South Korea, approximately 10,000 merchants in South Korea support the GTF tax refund service. There are plans for Alipay and Global Tax Free to expand the tax refund service to more merchants and other countries in Asia in the future.